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Q. I hear these terms Dvaita, Advaita, Vishistdvaita, Shuddhadvaita, and may be any other XYZdvaita, etc in most of the questions but I am not very sure what do they refer to.
There are six Darshan (षडदर्शन) i.e philosophy in Hinduism which are Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta.
Among these six schools, Vedanta(वेदांत) is very popular ...
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The answer is obvious, it is because we are not exactly the God, we are jiva, an energy of God. And because we are an energy of God, we are called as God by some. Just like fire and a spark of fire are essentially the same, so also God(Brahman) and us(Jiva) are essentially the same. But, just like fire is huge than a spark of fire and has more heat or energy,...
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Shakti Vishishtadvaita is the philosophy of a Shaivite sect known as Lingayatism, AKA Virashaivism, founded by the 12th century philosopher Basava. Note that the term "Shaivite" actually means something here; there are a lot of people who call themselves Shaivites, like Iyers for instance, but they're actually followers of Adi Shankaracharya's Smartha sect (...
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It's because it was a separate debate. It's true that Mandana Misra's wife Ubhaya Bharati is said to have been the referree of the debate between Adi Shankaracharya and Mandana Misra. But this chapter of the Madhaviya Shankara Digvijaya, the traditional biography of Adi Shankaracharya, describes how after the debate is over, Ubhaya Bharati is resentful of ...
answered May 13 '15 at 5:52
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Vedas state "Sarvakhalvidam Brahman" which means "Everything is Brahman." So, everything is Brahman in the absolute level. Chandogya Upanishad states:
सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म तज्जलानिति शान्त उपासीत अथ खलु क्रतुमयः पुरुषो यथाक्रतुरस्मिल्लोके पुरुषो भवति तथेतः प्रेत्य भवति स क्रतुं कुर्वीतः । [Chandogya Upanishad.]
III-xiv-1: Verily, ...
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Purva Mimamsa School in it's Purva Mimamsa Sutras gives very logical arguments to prove Eternity of Vedas. Actually these Arguments can also be used against Nastika school who hold Vedas are not eternal.
Quotes from Mahabharata, Ramayana, Puranas and other scripture to support Eternity of Vedas cannot be used as logic against Nastika school because ...
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It's true that Brahman is conscious, and that Brahman is the one that gives both rewards and punishments, so in that sense it is the efficient cause of all suffering. But it is not being cruel or capricious in doing this; it is doing this in accordance with the law of Karma. Here is what Adi Shankaracharya says in his commentary on the Brahma Sutras:
...
answered Mar 25 '15 at 15:40
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So are we really God?
Who are we?
Who is God?
What is our relation with God?
Different schools of Hinduism say different things about this concept.
Advaita (commonly called Non-Dualism) - Sri Adi Shankaracharya (believed to be incarnation of Lord Shiva)
According to this school of thought, there is only One who exists in this world, and that is God. There ...
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In brief, the situation is:
A rationalist has analyzed a text written in C++ into English because both look similar. He has critisized C++ for "bad grammar". Certain extremists are behind his life just because they think C++ grammar is cool!
what Bhagavan criticized in detail
what his arguments are
K. S. Bhagawan is an Indian rationalist, Kannada ...
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Here are the main philosophical schools discussed by Vyasa in the Brahma Sutras (which you can read here:
Vedanta: The Brahma Sutras are the defining text of Vedanta school, so in some sense all the Sutras are giving the views of the Vedanta school.
Samkhya: Kapila's Samkhya school seems to have been the most popular school of Hindu philosophy at the time, ...
answered Jun 12 '17 at 5:03
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As I discuss in this answer, the word Smartha originally just meant "follower of Smriti. (Hinduism has two sets of scripture, Shruti or "that which is heard" and Smriti or "that which is remembered.) But the Smartha came to denote the followers of the sect founded by Adi Shankaracharya, which he did in order to create a more streamlined version of Hinduism....
answered Nov 23 '14 at 8:16
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Swami Vivekananda meant that a strong body can help you have the frame of mind needed to understand things like the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita, and thus ultimately attain Jnana. Here's the quote in its original context:
First of all, our young men must be strong. Religion will come afterwards. Be strong, my young friends; that is my advice to you. You ...
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The mantra is not talking about rolling the sky, it's just used in analogous comparision:
निष्कलं निष्क्रिय शान्तं निरवद्यं निरञ्जनम् ।
अमृतस्य पर सेतुं दग्धेन्धनमिवानलम् ।। 19
यदा चर्मवदाकाशं वेष्टयिष्यन्ति मानवा ।
तदा देवमविज्ञाय दुःखस्यान्तो भविष्यति ।। 20
When men shall roll up space as if it were a piece of hide, then there will be an end ...
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Except for Adi Shankara and Bhaskara, it is seen that all the Vedanta expounders are Vaishnavas...
First of all, Bhaskara's works clearly suggest he was a Vaishnava since he never refers Brahman to be anyone other than Sriman Narayana in his commentaries.
On the other hand, despite the modern Smartha Sampradaya's claims, many scholars have claimed ...
answered Aug 25 '18 at 8:36
Surya Kanta Bose Chowdhury
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One of the purest Advaitic texts is the Astavakra Samhita. This is the only book that Ramakrishna Paramahamsa kept in his room. Again, it is pure Advaita.
Another is the Pancadasi by Sri Vidyaranya Swami. He was the Sankaracharya of the Sringeri Math from 1377-1386. Considered one of the great commentators on Sankara and Advaita.
Another good Advaita text ...
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You quoted from the Mahabharata this passage of text:
Meanwhile, the righteous-souled Suka, who had entered the
elements, had become their soul and acquired omnipresence,
answered his sire by uttering the monosyllable Bho in the form of an echo. At this, the entire universe of mobile and immobile
creatures, uttering the monosyllable Bho, echoed the ...
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Well, I'm aware of sixteen commentaries on the Vedanta Sutras:
Shankara Bhashya, the most popular commentary on the Vedanta Sutras, written by Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya, advocating the Advaita Vedanta philosophy.
Sri Bhashyam, the commentary by the great Sri Vaishnavite, Ramanujacharya, advocating the Vishishtadvaita Vedanta philosophy.
Madhvacharya's ...
answered Feb 2 '18 at 17:42
Surya Kanta Bose Chowdhury
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Vishnu Purana in 6.5.74 states:
"ऐश्वर्यस्य समग्रस्य धर्मस्य यशसरिश्रयः।
ज्ञानवैराग्ययोश्चैव षण्णां भग इतीरणा ।।"
Complete splendor, virtue, glory, opulence, knowledge, dispassion - these six are known as bhaga.
One who possess these Bhaga quality is known as Bhagavan. And the following verses after it identify Bhagavan as Vãsudeva or Lord Vishnu. ...
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Who gives titles to whom?
The Guru gives the title to His student in most of the cases[a]. Sometimes the saint Himself gives Himself a name. Sometimes the disciples give the name. There is no hard and fast rule for this. For example, Sri Ramana Maharishi did not receive His name from any Guru, but rather He was affectionately called so by His devotees on ...
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Here, is that Stotra composed by Adi-Shankara. It has 11 verses and gives such double meanings that it can be used to praise Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu at the same time. It goes on praising 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu and Balarama avatar also in one side while in other side the same verses praises Lord Shiva (at the same time) due to it's double meaning nature....
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Apart from the works of Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada mentioned by Swami Vishwananda. I would like to say a few words. If you want to know about its philosophy like bird's view, there are many books available like The Great Equation, Enlightening Expositions: Philosophical Expositions of Sringeri Jagadguru Sri Abhinava Vidyatheertha Mahaswamigal , Didactic ...
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It's because Vyasa and Jaimini were working together. Vyasa and two of his disciples, Jaimini and Kasakritsna, together composed a unified work called the Mimamsa Shastra, designed to analyze the meaning of the Vedas in all its aspects. It consisted of 20 Adhyayas or chapters: the 12 Adhyayas of Jaimini's Purva Mimamsa Sutras, analyzing the Karma Kanda of ...
answered Jul 11 '16 at 5:15
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Sanyas Upanishads were written for male spiritual aspirants and thus talk of women being dangerous to males. Women are allowed to be monks. Just as women are dangerous for men who are spiritual aspirants similarly men are dangerous for women. I am astonished that some people believe that Hindu women are not allowed to be monks when there are women monk ...
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What is Ishwara?
According to Sarva Vedanta Siddhanta Saara Sangraha (You can get Sanskti-Hindi version from Internet Archive).
verses 310-317 Ishvara
॥ १४ ॥ ईश्वरः॥
मायोपहितचैतन्यं साभासं सत्त्वबृंहितम् ।
सर्वज्ञत्वादिगुणकं सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तकारणम् ॥ ३१०॥
अव्याकृतं तदव्यक्तमीश इत्यपि गीयते ।
सर्वशक्तिगुणोपेतः सर्वज्ञानावभासकः ॥ ३११॥
...
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Pure Advaita considers forms of God as unreal. Thus it does not matter what name the unreal Ishvara is called.
Shankara considers Isvara or Brahman with attributes as ultimately unreal. He writes in his commentary on Brahma Sutra Bhasya:
Since this Self is by nature Consciousness Itself, distinctionless,
beyond speech and mind, and can be taught by way ...
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Dattatreya, among others, is an ideal example of a Jivanmukta. He was always associated with wine etc and a filthy lifestyle.
Why is that?
Because Jivanmuktas don't want the masses to come to them. As simple as that. Because their touch is enough to liberate others, but not everyone is ready for liberation yet.
Symptoms from Upanishads:
Like Svetaketu, ...
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It is explained in the Chhandogya Upanishad - Aadhyaya-6, Khanda-8.
What is the Sushupti actually and why do we experience it?:
उद्दालको हारुणिः श्वेतकेतुं पुत्रमुवाच स्वप्नान्तं मे सोम्य
विजानीहीति यत्रैतत्पुरुषः स्वपिति नाम सता सोम्य तदा
सम्पन्नो भवति स्वमपीतो भवति तस्मादेनꣳ
स्वपितीत्याचक्षते स्वꣳह्यपीतो भवति ॥ ६.८.१॥
Uddalaka the son of ...
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1. Vivartavada:
Sanskrit word विवर्त means [1] transformation, more precisely [2] apparent form in Vedanta philosophy. Vivartavada means the doctrine of apparent transformation.
According to Adi Shankaracharya Jagat (word) is actually apparent transformation of Brahman under the effect of illusion. That means the transformation is only apparent (illusory/...
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The spider in question is a Shiva Gana named Malyavan.
The Chola dynasty of kings is said to have sprung from the Surya Vamsa, at least according to this Wikipedia page.
The last king to be mentioned in the list is King Kotchenganan, who is incidentally one of the 63 Nayanars.
The list claims that the dynasty descended from Ikshvaku, through Muchukunda, ...
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Nice question!
Since you have mentioned 'Advaitavaad' in your question I'm answering from Adi Shankaras Advaita perspective.
Yes, Self realization doesn't imply Omniscience.
It is because in Shankaras Advaita the attributes like Omniscient and Omnipotent etc... seen in Brahman are due to the product of Avidya. I discuss it in my answer here. Shankara in ...
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